Zimbabwe's Senate Approves Bill to Delay the Presidential Election and Overhaul the Vote
The measure would replace direct presidential elections with lawmaker selection and extend presidential and parliamentary terms to seven years, critics said.
- On Wednesday, the Zimbabwe Senate approved constitutional amendments removing direct presidential elections, with 75 senators voting to delay the next election from 2028 to 2030 and extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa's term by two years.
- Parliament pushed the legislation through late-night sessions, with the lower house overwhelmingly approving the measure last week; the bill overhauls presidential selection, replacing direct votes with lawmaker selection and extending terms to seven years from five.
- Although Mnangagwa previously stated he would step down when his second term expires in 2028, his ruling ZANU-PF party championed the amendments; supporters argue Parliament can enact the changes because the constitutional two-term limit remains intact.
- Four senators opposed the measure, while critics argue extending presidential terms requires a referendum; others face alleged harassment and detention as political tensions in Zimbabwe heighten following the legislative push.
- Despite the Senate's approval, Zimbabwe's courts are yet to rule on several legal challenges to the proposal, and the amendments await Mnangagwa's signature to become law, complicating the path forward.
31 Articles
31 Articles
Zimbabwe's Mnangagwa set to stay in power until 2030 after Senate vote
Zimbabwe's Senate has overwhelmingly approved controversial constitutional amendments that would extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa's final term until 2030 and pave the way for wider changes to the country's electoral system, despite fierce criticism from opposition parties and human rights groups.
After the National Assembly, it was the Zimbabwean Senate that approved on Wednesday by an overwhelming majority the constitutional reform extending the current President Emmerson Mnangagwa's term of office for two years, so that he could remain in power until 2030. This far-reaching revision, which began last February, will also change the voting system of the President and the deputies.
Zimbabwe's Senate approves bill to delay presidential election and overhaul vote
Seventy-five senators voted in favor of the bill that would postpone elections scheduled for 2028 to 2030 and extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term by two years. Four senators opposed the measure.
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